Sam Darnold’s Super Bowl Moment Shines, But the Road Ahead Gets Steeper for Seahawks
Sam Darnold’s journey came full circle on Sunday night, as the quarterback captured his first Super Bowl ring in his debut season with the Seattle Seahawks. Leading his team to a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Darnold delivered the kind of performance that validates a career arc filled with ups, downs, and second chances.
Seattle’s victory wasn’t just a win-it was a statement. But as the champagne dries and the confetti gets swept away, the reality of what comes next is already setting in. Former NFL linebacker Manti Te'o, speaking on Good Morning Football, didn’t mince words about the challenge ahead.
“I think it’s going to be a lot more difficult,” Te’o said. “You become the team now. You’re no longer chasing anyone-you’re the ones being chased.”
That shift in identity-from hunter to hunted-is a real thing in the NFL. When you hoist the Lombardi Trophy, you also put a target on your back.
Every team, every coach, every draft room is suddenly asking the same question: *How do we beat Seattle? * The Seahawks are now the blueprint, and the rest of the league is studying every page.
Te’o pointed out a ripple effect that often follows a Super Bowl win. “People are going to start hiring people from your coaching staff to get a taste of that,” he said. “You are the focal point.”
And that’s already happening.
Seattle has lost a key piece of its offensive puzzle-offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders as their new head coach. Kubiak played a pivotal role in crafting the offense that helped revitalize Darnold’s career and power the Seahawks through the postseason. His departure leaves a big hole to fill.
So what’s next for Seattle’s offensive brain trust?
Eyes are already turning toward the NFC West, where the Los Angeles Rams just added Kliff Kingsbury to their staff as a senior offensive assistant under Sean McVay. Kingsbury, who spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator, didn’t land a head coaching or OC gig this cycle-but that might not last long.
There’s speculation that Seattle could make a move to bring Kingsbury north, poaching him from their division rivals to take over the Seahawks’ offense. His offensive philosophy-rooted in tempo, spacing, and quarterback-friendly concepts-could be a natural fit for a team looking to keep Darnold in rhythm and continue building on their Super Bowl success.
Of course, nothing’s official yet. But if Seattle wants to maintain their edge, they’ll need to move quickly and decisively.
Winning a Super Bowl is hard. Staying on top?
That’s a whole different challenge.
The Seahawks have the pieces. They have the quarterback.
And now they have the ring. But as Manti Te’o warned, the real test begins now.